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Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship Final – Waterford 2-9 Kildare 1-5

September 13, 2015 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Waterford defeated Kildare by 2-9 to 1-5 in the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship Final on Sunday September 13th at Croke Park.

Waterford 2-9 Kildare 1-5

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

Waterford completed a memorable double by adding the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland intermediate camogie title to the Division 2 league crown they won earlier in the year.

That means that Stephen Fleming’s crew will be operating at the top table in both competitions next year and with five minors starting this game, it is evident that they are a force for the future.

They had to recover from a very slow start to record a third win over Kildare this season as the premier junior champions of 2013 made a bold bid for honours. In the end, it was two goals at either end of half time that decided the issue. While the scoring rate wasn’t particularly high, the heavy rain that persisted for most of the game had much to do with that.

So too did the defensive structures of both sides, with Kildare drawing two half-forwards deep and Niamh Rockett filling a similar role for Waterford. It was Kildare that started best with a third minute goal from Noelle Earley, followed by points from Melissa Lyons and Emer Reilly.

Waterford, starting with five minor players, gradually settled into the game though as Lorraine Bray and Trish Jackman got on top around midfield and scored 2-4 without reply. Beth Carton got them off the mark and she followed up from a free before Bray and Jennie Simpson reduced the margin to one

The first goal came in the 29th minute when Aisling Power showed good strength before rifling to the Kildare net. The second arrived two minutes into the second half, when Beth Carton sent a powerful shot beyond the Lilywhite defenders from an angled 20m free and it was Waterford’s to lose from that juncture.

Kildare tried hard but they just couldn’t get enough possession to the forwards that had looked so dangerous early on. It took until the 52nd minute for the Kildare captain, Susie O’Carroll to get her first score of the game, and though she followed up with another excellent effort three minutes later, it was Waterford that had the final say.

Fittingly, the closing credits featured midfield partners Jackman and Bray, with the former slotting a free before Bray profited from tremendous work by Carton to slot her third point from play, just as she was announced as player of the match.

Scorers – Waterford: B Carton 1-2(1-1fs); L Bray 0-3; A Power 1-0; T Jackman (f),J Simpson, N Morrissey, N Rockett 0-1 each
Kildare: N Earley 1-0; S O’Carroll (1f), M Lyons 0-2 each; E Reilly 0-1

Waterford: D Brennan, K McMahon, C Whyte, V Falconer, J Simpson, C Raher, I Heffernan, T Jackman, L Bray, C McGlone, N Morrissey, B Carton, D Power, N Rockett, A Power
Subs: S Curran for D Power (28), V O’Brien for Rockett (46), Rockett for Morrissey (48), C Murphy for McGlone (56)

Kildare: R O’Connell, C Flanagan, C Nolan, F Trant, A Lyons, R Gorman, C Farrell, C Forde, O Bambury, L Keatley, S Hurley, E Reilly, S O’Carroll, N Earley, M Lyons
Subs: H McDonnell for Forde (50), D Byrne for Trant (52)

Referee: J Byrne (Dublin)